Elijah Asante showed up on the sidelines of his first game as coach at Carson wearing a suit. It didn't take long, when asked about it, for him to invoke the names of Tom Landry, Hank Stram and others – all winners by the way – from days gone by.
A couple hours later, after his team stunned Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 14-10 at Santa Ana Stadium in the season opener for both teams, Asante invoked the name of Gene Vollnagle, the Carson coaching legend who retired in 1990 and whose 310 victories were the most in California football history at the time.
Asante, who came to Carson from (Los Angeles), wants to be a throwback to the days when Carson ruled the Los Angeles City Section. The Colts have won 11 section championships, and their performance against a highly touted Mater Dei team indicated there might be a 12th title in the near future.
"I'm watching my guys and we looked like the Jack Tatum Raiders," Asante said. "We were hitting out there ... Hit hard and be physical. That's the kind of ball we want to play. We're going back to the Gene Vollnogle days of hitting hard and bringing fear..."
Carson High's Dion Willis.
File photo by Anthony Watson
It's the second year in a row the Colts have beaten the Monarchs. Carson did it last year, 14-2, in Mike Christensen's final season before taking over at Loyola (Los Angeles). After reaching the section finals last season, it was clear that Carson is looking beyond a city championship this season. It's striving for a CIF State Championship Bowl.
"We have what we consider a state bowl schedule," Asante said a few feet from Dion Willis, whose 95-yard kickoff return quelled the momentum of Mater Dei's only touchdown — Glen Raphael's 74-yard interception return that tied the score at 7 and gave the Monarchs a moment (but only a moment) of hope. "If we can win those games, and then we can win league — go on undefeated and go to the playoffs and win that, we feel we can be a representative. We set out that as one of our goals."
In addition to Mater Dei, which was ranked No. 2 in the Southern Section's Pac-5 Division heading into the season, Carson's nonleague schedule includes:
— Miller (Fontana), which could have scored an upset of Upland — ranked No. 5 this week in the CIF-Southern Section Inland Division ranking — over the weekend if not for two fourth-quarter fumbles in a 75-second span that led to two touchdowns in a 21-16 loss.
— Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita), which seems revitalized under first-year coach Harry Welch, who has led two different programs to CIF State Bowl victories, and opened the season with a 56-0 victory over two-time section finalist Diamond Ranch (Pomona).
— Mission Viejo, which went 12-1 last season and is ranked No. 1 in the Pac-5 Division and and began the season with a 49-13 victory over Bothell (Wash.), the state's No. 2 ranked team in Class 4A;
— Lincoln (San Diego), which has traditionally been a strong program in the city of San Diego.
And once Carson clears those hurdles, the Colts are in the same Marine League as Narbonne (Harbor City), which was last year's section runner-up, and perennial power San Pedro. Additionally, any City title figures to go through the defending section champion, Crenshaw (Los Angeles), and its talented running back De'anthony Thomas.
Yet Willis showed that he's a threat as well with his timely kickoff return. He had only one kickoff return for a TD last season, and it came against Banning (Wilmington). "I like this one way better," he said.
"He's the rock of our team," Asante said of Willis. "We have a lot of weapons (including quarterback Justin Alo) but when we're in doubt or in trouble, we go to Dion Willis.”
How far he carries them remains to be seen. But so far, it has been a great journey.
LA HABRA BANDWAGON GETS ROCKED
Everyone was riding the La Habra bandwagon, and with talents like Cody Clements (Washington) and receiver Brett Bartolone, it was easy to understand why. Both looked good, Bartolone especially, in their game against the first of three Trinity League opponents it has scheduled. Three-time defending section champion La Habra looked good, too, as it stepped up in class against a Pac-5 opponent.
But more impressive was the way Orange Lutheran came out behind quarterback/safety Mike Markovsky, who led the Lancers to touchdowns on their first two drives in a 21-17 victory. It was a good statement for the Trinity League, which went 4-1 on the weekend with the only loss being Mater Dei's.
La Habra coach Frank Mazzotta thinks his team was a little tight at the outset. "That's the difference, they play at a high level week in and week out. Our kids might have been still looking up at them. Didn't matter what the papers said and what everybody else said, I think our kids were still looking at them like 'Hey, that's Pac-5.'"
Still to come: Servite (Anaheim) in two weeks and St. John Bosco (Bellflower) before La Habra rolls through the Freeway League toward another playoff appearance.
DEVIL MAY CARE
Unable to find opponents who presumably couldn't handle the heat and had no intention of venturing anywhere near the kitchen, Desert Valley League rivals Palm Desert and Palm Springs played a nonleague game called the Mercury Bowl on Friday night in 108-degree weather. It had been 117 earlier in the day. "We had a couple of guys cramping up at the end, but they are twins, so it could be genetic," Palm Springs coach Steve Fabian, whose team won 35- 20, told the Palm Springs Desert Sun.
Given the circumstances, it was a good day for both programs — in stark contrast to North Hollywood and University (Los Angeles), which canceled their game Friday because it was a furlough day in the City and the schools couldn't agree to an afternoon game (too hot) or evening game (a coach with a prior commitment) on Saturday.
IMPRESSIVE FEET
Jacob Van Ginkel of Upland kicked field goals of 50, 50 and 45 yards in Upland's 21-16 victory over Miller. He also had punts of 45 and 49 yards. Van Ginkel, who kicked 16 field goals last season and gave every indication this season will be even better, still doesn't have a scholarship offer.
APPEAL BREATHES LIFE INTO EDISON
Chase Favreau, the junior quarterback who was ruled ineligible by the Southern Section the week of the first game for Edison (Huntington Beach), was cleared to play for the Chargers after making an appeal. He had originally been denied because the move from Mater Dei was deemed athletically motivated.
Although Pac-5 runner-up Edison defeated Artesia (Lakewood) 59-0 without Favreau, his return to the program could shake up the rankings and, at the very least, make the Sunset League a lot more interesting.
THREE DOTS AND A CLOUD OF DUST
In addition to Elijah Asante at Carson, first year coaches ruled. Among them: Harry Welch at Santa Margarita defeated Diamond Ranch 56-0; Mike Christensen at Loyola (Los Angeles) defeated Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach) 10-7; Jason Negro at St. John Bosco defeated Mission Hills (San Marcos), 47-21 ... Two-way players who are starting quarterbacks were particularly impressive. Not only did Markovsky, who doubles as a safety, lead Orange Lutheran, but Trent Mason of Dana Hills (Dana Point) had a monster game in a 49-20 victory over Santiago (Corona) with 17 of 23 passing for 257 yards and two touchdowns, and 14 carries for 153 yards and four touchdowns. Servite linebacker Butch Pauu caught a touchdown pass while playing tight end, and then scored from 17 yards on his first snap of the season at quarterback in a 31-7 victory over Oceanside, which had a 39-game unbeaten streak ... Jody Thomas, a defensive lineman, read the screen perfectly and intercepted two passes, had a sack and returned a fumble for a touchdown for Servite. Hard for a lineman to have a better game than that.
RECRUITING NEWS
Jonathan Davis, a 6-8 senior at Simi Valley, has committed to George Washington to play men's basketball. ... According to the Los Angeles Times, two highly regarded freshmen, Devin Burleson (who is 6-7) and Namon Wright, checked out of Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) less than a week into school. They had played for Price (Los Angeles) during the summer. What's the likelihood they end up at the same school?
Richard Mullaney, a receiver at Thousand Oaks, has committed to Oregon State.
Scott Barlow, a pitcher at Golden Valley (Santa Clarita), has committed to Fresno State.
COACHING NEWS
Jeff Engilman, who has coached for 36 years, announced that this season at Arleta will be his last. He turns 60 in October.
Martin Henderson began covering Southland preps in 1993 for the Los Angeles Times. He contributes to the Orange County Register, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and San Bernardino Sun, and offers up motorsports opinions at Racescribe.com. You can reach him at southlandpreps@yahoo.com.
